George f



(No Model.) I

F. BALLOU.

CHAIN.

No. 576,799. Patented Feb. 9, 1897.

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LR) L in wow UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. BALLOU, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

CHAIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 576,799, datedFebruary. 9, 1897.

Application filed Augu t 3, 1896- $erial No. 601,425. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. BALLoU, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York city, in the county and State of New York, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Chains, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Heretofore bicycle-chains were composed of hardened blocks provided withholes, soft links provided with holes, and connectingpins adapted topass through the blocks and receive the links on their ends, the pinsbeing provided with shoulders against which the links were held, whilethe ends of the pins were upset or riveted to clench the links. In thisconstruction the bodies of the pins were case-hardened, while the endsremained soft to permit riveting. While this is the form of chain inuniversal use, it is objectionable on account of the time required inriveting and because of the fact that the pins cannot be thoroughlyhardened. To obviate these objections, separable chains have beenproposed-that is, chains wherein the pins are thoroughly hardened andprovided with hooked or recessed ends with which the links engage, andthe links being shaped so that the parts can only be connected ordisconnected by partly or wholly moving adjacent links and blocks overone another so as to overlap, and thus permitting the longitudinalmovement of the links relative to the blocks and pins to bring the pinsto an enlarged opening or slot in the link and permit its engagement ordisengagement with the link. IVhile this form of chain overcame theobjections pointed out, the cost of manufacture was not decreased andthe chain was open to objection on account of its readily becomingentirely separated when not in use and the possibility of its becomingseparated in use, although it did possess the advantage of quick repair,particularly while on the road. 7

The object of my invention is to produce a chain which possesses all theadvantages of the separable chain-2'. e., thorough hardening of the pinsand quick repair, and, furthermore, the desirable features of extremeuniformity of parts and maximum strength for a given Weight of materialwithout increasing the cost of same, and the rapidity in connecting andpermanently securing the parts topins.

gether, thusreducing the cost of that part of the process.

In carrying my invention into effect I employ a connecting-pin ofuniform diameter and preferably provided with a shallow groove at eachend wide enough to receive the link and thus forming heads on the endsof the The pins are afterward thoroughly hardened. These pins areinserted in holes in the hardened chain-blocks, and the links arepunched from strip or sheet metal, with holes or slots large enough forthe insertion of the heads of the pins. The parts are assembled bypassing a pin through two links with a block between them, and the partsare secured together by subjecting the links to pressure upon theirouter longitudinal edges to force the inner edges of the links-that is,at the holes or slots-into the grooves of the pin, thus clenching thepin to the links and preventing its displacement. In subjecting thelinks to pressure they spread slightly and the parts entering thegrooves of the pin are thus jammed between the sides of the groove,resulting in a joint between the pin and links similar to the jointsformed between the links and pins by riveting.

In practice the links will be subjected to pressure by passing the chainbetween two rolls provided with clenching-dies properly spaced, and itwill readily be understood how rapidly a chain may be assembled andpassed through the clenching-rolls.

My improved chain is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure l is a view of a few links, part of one link being broken away toshow the pin; Fig. 2, a side view with the heads of two of the pins outoff to show how the links clench the pins, the clenching-dies beingshown in dotted lines; Fig. 3, a separate side View of one of the linksbefore being clinched; Fig. 4 shows on a smaller scale four modifiedforms of links 20 as y a; and Fig. 5 shows links it as y z of Fig. 4when clenched upon the pins.

Referring to the drawings, A A are the pins, B B the blocks, and O O thelinks. The pins are provided with shallow grooves a a near each end,thus forming heads a a at the ends of the pins. The blocks are providedwith holes for the pins, as usual. The links, which are punched fromstrip or sheet metal,

may have any desired shape, five different, shapes being shown in thedrawings. Each link is provided with a slot 0, which is punched out atthe same time the link is punched from the strip or sheet of metal, andthis slot must be wide enough at some point to admit the heads a of thepins. The ends of the slots 1 are curved, as shown, and the diameter of1 the slot at that point is of such size as to closely fit the groovedportion of the pin, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. In case thelinks stretch or loosen on the pins after prolonged use they may bereadily caused to again firmly clench the pin by a suitable ihand-operated clamping-tool, which will also I take up the slack due tothe stretching of the links. 7 i

If desired, in joining the two ends of a? chain the pin which couplesthe block 13 at T one end to the links 0 at the other end may be ascrew-bolt provided with a check-nut, as usual.

\Vhile I have described the links 0 as having slots to receive the pins,I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to such anarrangement, since the same end may be accomplished by providing, forinstance, a hole at each end of the link larger in diameter than thediameter of the pin and clenching the ends of the links, but I do notbelieve such a form will give as good a result as the slotted link. lurthermore, while I have described the pins as being grooved at each endI do not limit myself to that arrangement. because the pins could bedifferently constructed,but not so cheaply as the form shown. Forinstance, the ends of the pins might be milled, so that when the softlinkis clenched the hard points of the milled surface will be forcedinto the link and form a tight joint. Furthermore, the grooves in thelinks might be rectangular, round, or V-shaped. Nor do 1 limit myself tothe use of hardened pins, since it will be readily understood that myinvention is applicable to the manufacture of chains which do notrequire hardened pins.

It will also be understood that although I have described my inventionin connection with bicycle-chains my invention may be equally as wellemployed in the manufacture of chains intended for other uses.

YVhat I claim is-- 1. As an article of manufacture, a chain comprisingblocks having holes, pins passing through the holes, and links havingapertures for receiving the ends of the pins, and which links are causedby pressure to clench the pins, substantially as set forth.

2. As an article of manufacture, a chain comprising blocks having holes,pins passing through the holes and provided with a groove at each end soas to form heads on the pins, and links having apertures of a width atsome point sufficient to admit the heads and permit the links to enterthe grooves of the pins, and which links are subjected to pressure toforce the inner edges of the links closely Within the grooves to clenchthe pins making a tight joint and holding the parts againstdisplacement, substantially as set forth.

3. As an article of manufacture, a chain comprising blocks having holes,pins passing through the holes and provided with a groove at each end soas to form heads on the pins, and slotted links whose slots at somepoint are of such width as to receive the heads of the pins and the endsof which slots are curved and of such diameter as to snugly fit thegrooves of the pins, and which links are caused by pressure to clenchthe pins, substantially as set forth.

at. A bicycle-chain comprising blocks, 1ongitudinally slotted links, andconnectingpins, said links being adapted to have their longitudinalsides compressed to shorten the link, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 28th day of July, 1896.

GEO. F. BALLOU. Vitnesses:

EUGENE CONRAN, GEORGE P. DYER.

